ELMWOOD PARK, N.J. — A 15-year-old boy is facing multiple charges after authorities determined he accidentally shot himself and falsely reported a drive-by shooting, Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella announced Wednesday.
On Saturday at approximately 5:04 p.m., Elmwood Park Police responded to Donor Avenue for a report of a shooting. Officers found the teen suffering from gunshot wounds to his hand and leg. He was transported to St. Joseph’s Hospital in Paterson, treated, and later released.
Initial statements suggested the teen was the victim of a drive-by shooting. However, a joint investigation by the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crimes Unit and Elmwood Park Police determined that the gunshot wounds were self-inflicted while the teen was handling a firearm inside a residence.
Detectives located the juvenile on Wednesday and placed him in protective custody. He was later charged with juvenile delinquency, including second-degree providing false reports to law enforcement, fourth-degree possession of a firearm, and fourth-degree obstruction.
The firearm was not recovered during the investigation. The Bergen County Sheriff’s Office Bureau of Criminal Investigations assisted at the scene.
The juvenile was released to the custody of a parent or guardian pending proceedings in Bergen County Superior Court Family Law Division.
